Miss Czech-Slovak US 2026-2027
Karolina Dvořák
Karolina Dvořák is the daughter of Karrie and Bruce Dvořák. She is from Lincoln, Nebraska, and represented her home state at the 2026 Miss Czech-Slovak US pageant. Her Czech roots go back five generations in the Bohemian-Moravian highlands near the town of Polička, with family lines originating from villages including Telecí, Kamenec u Poličky, Korouhev, and Pustá Řybná. She also has ancestral ties to Central Bohemia, from Tisovnice, Kbel, and Sušice.
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Karolina is currently an honors student majoring in Nutrition and minoring in Czech Studies at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. So far, she has taken 16 credits of Czech language. After graduation, she hopes to attend medical school to become a physician. She sees this title as an opportunity to further develop her cultural competency, which aligns with her goal of eventually practicing medicine for diverse patient populations.
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During the Miss Czech-Slovak US competition, Karolina wore an authentic reproduction kroj from the Polička region because her family did not have an heirloom kroj. She spent over 6 years researching and coordinating with various traditional kroje makers, ethnographers, and jewelers in Czechia and the US to create the full ensemble. The apron and shawl are adorned with flax flowers that are not only characteristic of Poličky kroje, reflecting the region’s flax industry, but also honor her ancestor, Kasper Častka’s, work in it. One of the most meaningful embroidery motifs is the linden tree on the apron waistband, which honors a Protestant Telicí ancestor who resisted Czech language suppression by transcribing psalms into Czech in the 17th century, when doing so was prohibited under Habsburg rule. Her vibrantly stitched vest is extra special because her older sister, Kate, made it.
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For her talent, Karolina performed a ballet solo on pointe that she choreographed to the first movement of the New World Symphony. She combined her love of expression through language and dance by incorporating two Czech phrases paired with her dance to explain the journey her ancestors took.
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Besides being crowned Miss Czech-Slovak US 2026-2027, Karolina is delighted to have earned the Kroj- accuracy, Kroj- knowledge, Kroj- family story, and oratory awards. During the onstage interview, she was asked how she would measure her impact to ensure her year of service made meaningful, lasting change. She replied that by the end of her reign, she would like to raise public awareness about Czech and Slovak American culture by getting a new person to learn about Czech and Slovak American culture for each dollar in scholarship support she would receive if she won. Karolina is excited to raise awareness through festival and cultural event appearances, language and cultural preservation advocacy to schools and colleges nationwide, and sharing her expertise in planning the first official Czech Heritage Week in Nebraska with communities across the diaspora. When asked how she feels after winning this prestigious title, she said: "I am simply ecstatic. In my family’s experience, the loss of Czech culture through assimilation is deeply personal, and I know that many families share similar stories. While times have changed and Bohemian discrimination is unheard of, there are still traditions, recipes, stories, and languages that are likely to be lost if we don’t actively pass them down. That’s why preserving Czech, Moravian, Rusyn, Silesian, and Slovak heritage matters so much to me. Becoming Miss Czech-Slovak US has given me a broader platform to educate people on why it’s important to uphold our heritage, as well as provide opportunities to engage other young people in its preservation."
Karolina is deeply grateful for her family, friends, and sponsors who made her heritage journey possible. She looks forward to both continuing to learn about and educate others on her cultural identity throughout her reign.